Those Useful Peppermints
by LoriLaner
Summary: When a certain brunette's obsession with those little candies drives a certain blondie crazy, Austin's determined to find out just why Ally won't stop eating them. His discovery leads him to a realization that maybe peppermints are useful, after all. *TIED FOR SECOND PLACE FOR THE BEST AUSTIN & ALLY FANFICTION OF 2012. Thanks so much, guys!*


** A/N: **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally and all rights go to those work with and within the show.**

**I sort thought of doing this one-shot when I was writing the kissing scene for Austin's Adventurous Challenge, but it's not connected to the story at all. I know, I know, the idea will sounds familiar. Don't go yelling at me for copyright, because this idea is everywhere on , ****_everywhere._**** As long as you find a couple with some sort of shy girl, this will be in the fandom. This works really well for Lily and James, so that's why their personalities and even the style of writing really might not match in this story, I apologize beforehand. Also, think the ending was pretty rushed, I'm sorry. Nonetheless, here you go and enjoy! Review if you like it, I might end up doing more one-shots! **

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Now, Austin Monica Moon certainly wasn't one who hated candy. How could you, really? All those colorful sugar-filled bites that one could obtain on Halloween day? There was no shame for him when it came to devouring every single piece of candy found within a mile radius.

Kit Kats, Coffee crisps, Smarties, Twizzlers, M&Ms, lollipops, Lindor truffles, and _peppermints._

Ah. Peppermints. Those taunting little things, those mesmerizing swirls of red and white painted on just so perfectly to get anyone's mouth watering. But lately, Austin Moon wasn't so fond of those peppermints. Fonder of who's mouth they'd been entering, really.

She was obsessed with them. To put simply, Ally Dawson wouldn't stop devouring them, bite after bite, wrapper after wrapper. It was almost like she had a little procedure for eating them.

First, she'd reach into her pocket and grab out, gently with those petite fingers of hers. Quite quickly though, then, she'd rip apart those plastic wrappers and throw them somewhere.

Normal people just pop the peppermints into their mouth, right? Well, then Ally Dawson certainly wasn't normal. No, next, she'd place them between her teeth; so more than half of it peeked out of her mouth, the other half being sucked. As if it wasn't bad enough that they'd make her lips a gorgeous scarlet red colour, her lips would also become plumper. Last, when she'd had enough of placing the candy between her teeth, she'd bring the thing in whole into her mouth, sucking gently, making her lips pucker and move in a slow motion.

Austin couldn't even begin to imagine how it would feel to have to scarlet red lips on his, kissing gently like he was her peppermint to be devoured-

_No._ _Stop thinking perverted thoughts while she just eats her innocent candy._

He had to tell himself this quite often, ever since he started to notice her little peppermint obsession.

And then, on Day 15 of the Candy Trials. he realized that the wrappers _had_ to go somewhere. So, when she was on her break, he leaped over that counter like he had times before, and his jaw dropped when he realized just how much candy this girl wolfed down.

There, strewn across the shelf inside the counter, there were dozens of hastily opened wrappers. _Dozens._

_What the hell does she use all these peppermints for?_

And then the answer dawned on him. Peppermints. They were kind of like breath mints. And breath mints were needed for…oh, god, no.

Ally Dawson, _Austin's_ Ally Dawson, had all these peppermints because she was freshening her breath up. For _someone_. Someone other than him!

It's not like they were dating, but there was definitely that sexual tension between them. Or, more like some sexual tension for Austin pining after Ally and Ally laughing at him messing up occasionally. Still, he considered Ally _his_ and when the thought occurred to him that she could've been kissing another guy, hence the peppermints…well, he got annoyed.

So, one bright September Day, when Ally went over to her break _5 minutes early_, Austin got the suspicion that something was up, and that it was up to him to find out just who- er, what, was happening.

There she was, hair pulled up, while she sat there expectantly, playing with her nails.

_Expectantly. She's waiting for someone. No._

"Hey Ally!" he spoke up cheerily, sliding into the empty seat oh-so-suavely. She looked at him confusedly, but then went along with it, sensing that he was probably here for something she had.

"Hi…what're you up to?" she questioned, narrowing her chocolate eyes.

"Oh, you know…stuff," he finished lamely, eyeing her nimble fingers as they reached into her jean pocket and brought out a fresh new peppermint.

"NO!"

And then, several things happened all at once.

First, Austin snatched the peppermint from her protesting hands, popping it in his mouth endearingly, letting out a "ha!" just loud enough for Ally to hear. Then, angrily, the peppermint-deprived girl leaned over the table and gripped his plaid shirt with such a force that Austin himself was moved along with it. Bringing them very close together. All in a matter of seconds, of course.

"Give it back."

"Not until you explain why you eat these things so much," he mumbled back, both hyped and fearful of her answer.

"What's it to you? I like peppermints, okay?" she said, scolding him for his ongoing curiosity.

And then, he exploded.

"You _like_ peppermints? _Like_? No, Ally, like is when you enjoy something enough to leave you content, maybe even happy. _Love_ is when you enjoy something _so much_ that you can't stand to think about them not existing, like my pancakes and me."

"Austin, I really don't think-" she started, but got cut off due to a very angered Mr. Moon.

"But this? This is something entirely different, it's like you enjoy the fact that eating these things makes me so…god, so _aggravated_!" he burst, chomping on the candy in his own mouth very toughly now.

"Austin, it's just-"

"No! You perch them on your lip, like they way you could be perching some guy's lips! So, that's why I want to know, Ally Dawson, who is he and how often do you even see him in order to be needing these peppermints so much, because when I find out-"

And then she lunged forward and seized his lips towards hers, gently kissing him while he closed his eyes, openmouthed and shocked at what she had just done. Slowly, he kissed her back, leaning over the table to put his fingers on her neck softly.

She tasted like peppermint, no doubt, and he did too. But that wasn't the only thing they felt. Sparks flew up in his mouth, alerting his senses and putting him in a trance when she pulled away hesitantly.

Silence engulfed them.

Gasping quietly, she looked away and answered his long-delayed question, murmuring, "That's why I like peppermints so much."

"Really?

"I've been waiting, you know."

Smiling, he shook his head disbelievingly.

And to prove it, she kissed him with her sweet peppermint lips all over again.


End file.
